Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-02-04
The Fishery Question.

|
the Montreal Star the following state
ment of the question, promising simply
that many American papers, the FREE
PRESS included, have heretofore publish
ed the clause of the treaty of 1878, quoted
by the star, and given the facts of the
case. of course without the bias shown in
the Stars article. That paper says:
The convention of 1918" was signed on
the both of October. Article | of this con
vention defines where "inhabitants OF the
! United States snail have forever, in COM
mon with thel subjects of his Britannia ma
| jesty the liberty to take fish. y These places
were the southern coast OF Newfoundland
| from Cane Ray to the Ramean Islands
west and north, and from Cape Ray to the
| Quirpon Islands on the shores of the
! Magdalen Islands, and also the coasts
bays, harbors and creeks, from Mount
Jolly, on the southern coast of Labrador,
to and thronlh the straits of Belle Isle
American fishermen were also to have
! liberty, forever" 10 cure fish in any of the
unsettled bays, harbOrs and creeks Of the
southern part of the coast of Newlound-
| land and the coast of Labrador, but as
soon as any portion of these coasts, etc,
should be settled, it would not be lawful
to land on them for the purpose of dry
ing or curing fish without having first
obtained the consent of the inhabitants.
! For these privlleges-we quote the exact
words of the treaty, for they are very i'm
portant:
| "The United states hereby renounce for
| ever any liberty heretOl ore enjoyed or claim
| ed by the inhabitants thereof, to take, dry
or cure fish ON or wit hin three marine miles
of any OF the coasts, bays, creeks or harbors
| of his Britannia Maiestys dOminons IN Am
! erica nor included IN the above mentioned
| limits Provined however. that the American
fishermen shall I've admitted to enter such bays
| or harbors tor the purpose CT shcller and
of repairing images therein, of purchasing
wood ana of obtaining water, and for no
other purpose whatever But they shall be
under such RESTRICT ns as may be necessary
to prevent their taking, drying or curing
fish thcI elm or in any other manner whatever
abusing the privileges hereby reserved to
| them"
This was thought at the time to be
final settlement OF the fishery dispute
| between Great Britain and the United
States. This treaty Is important, too, as
it is still in force. Temporary arrange
ments such as the Reciprocity treaty of
1854 and the Washington treaty OF 1871
let it for a time in allegiance, but as soon
rs the terms of the treaties expired, ooth
countries had to fall back upon the old
convention of 1915; and it is today the
only treaty in force regulating the rela-
tions between Great Britain and the
United States, with regard to the fisheries
of the British dominions in America.
The first difficulty that arose was with
respect to the Interpretation to be put
upon the words OF the treaty limiting the
right of American fishermen to take, dry
or cure tisn on or within three marine
miles OF any of the coasts, bays,
creeks or haruors of His Britannia Ma
iesty's dominions The Americans con
tended that the three miles should be
measured from the shore, following its
snuositles, and the British maintained
that the measurement should be from
headland to headland which, by the way,
is the way that the Americans measure
their own territorial jurisdiction over he
waters that wash their shores. In practice
the British have not insisted strictly on
: their Interpretation, but have allowed
J. the Americans to fish three miles from
, BAYS the headlands including which
were first ten miles apart and then SIX.
, After the expiration OF the reciprocity
treaty there was pretty much the same
: trouble with respect to the fisheries AS
there il now. The Americans kept on
, trespassng and the British seized fishing
vessels for the violation of the conVen-
ton of 1878 An attempt was made to get
over the difficulty 10y granting license TO
American fisherman, but that did not
work very well. Many of our readers
will remember the trouble there was III
1870. when il became necessary Tor the
t Dominion to take stringent measures to
q protect its fisheries The treaty of Wash
tngton put an end to the unpleasant agl-
tatiOn for "A time, but now that 1t has eX
3 pred it has commenced again with
=
g The Dominion government ana not IN
sist upon its rights as ii might have done,
on the list of July, 1855. 1t allowed the
Americans to mplete that year lshlng
without asking for the concession any
| equivalent whatever. When in the spring
I of last wear the Dominion authorities be
= gan to enforce their rights under the
; treaty the Americans raised a great out
cry. The stand that our government
: took was not an unreasonable one by any
: means, 1--WE will give you, II SAID TO
: the Americans, "all the rights you are en-
\ Titled to under the treaty and no more.
- Some of the fishing vessels that violated
e this treaty were seized. There was moth
| ing harsh or arbitrary in the proceedings
= The American fishermen received due
warning. The Dominion authorizes
were very forbearing, but when tney
: saw that the Americans were determined
o to set the treaty at defiance they then
Il without any unnecessary violence TOOK
}. measures To protect their rights. Inc
. | United States authorities resorted 10 what
{ they no doubt considered a clever device
T to secure for those fishermen processing
p to fish in the deep sea Only the privilege
e OF traders, they issued permits to touch
Il and trade; - that Is, they undertook &c
= convert fishermen into traders, and be
i cause the Canadian government refuses
/ To acknowledge that they possess tnt
u pow er to make this transformation, and
Il persists in treating fishermen as usher
men, Mr.. Secretary Manning accuses
> them of being actuated by "unworthS
Il and petty spite" and of being inhospit
II able and brutal. 1t is sing lar that IN his
II report he never once quotes the terms ol
y the treaty of 1878 by which both countries
~ are bound neither does he complain tha'
e any other class of American cltlIens' eA
Is cept fishermen, are treated by the cana
dian authorities brutally or lnhospltaolN
The permit TO "touch and trade granted
to American fishermen the refusal TO re